A threat to coral reefs multiplied? Four species of crown-of-thorns starfish

Abstract

In the face of ever-increasing threats to coral reef ecosystems, it is essential to understand the impact of natural predators in order to devise appropriate management strategies. Destructive population explosions of the crown-of-thorns starfishAcanthaster plancihave devastated coral reefs throughout the Indo-Pacific for decades. But despite extensive research, the causes of outbreaks are still unclear. An important consideration in this research is thatA. plancihas been regarded as a single taxonomic entity. Using molecular data from its entire distribution, we find thatA. planciis in fact a species complex. This discovery has important consequences for future coral reef research, and might prove critical for successful reef conservation management.